You probably don’t know his name unless you were watching late-night television in the seventies with a bowl of cereal and a sense of wonder. Lenny Schultz was the guy who made other comedians sweat. Honestly, if you ask modern legends like Jerry Seinfeld or Billy Crystal about him, they don’t just say he was funny. They say he was a "hard act to follow." That’s code for: he was so chaotic and loud that the audience didn't have any energy left for anyone else.
He died recently, in March 2025, at the age of 91. Most people today haven't heard of him, but his fingerprints are all over the high-octane physical comedy of Robin Williams or the prop-heavy madness of Gallagher. Basically, if a comedian is sweating through their shirt and screaming while wearing a rubber chicken, they owe a debt to Lenny.
The Gym Teacher Who Ruled the Screen
Here is the weirdest part about Lenny Schultz movies and tv shows: he wasn't even supposed to be an actor. He was a high school gym teacher. Imagine having a guy who does a "Bionic Chicken" routine on The Tonight Show telling you to climb a rope the next morning at 8:00 AM. He actually did that. He worked in New York City schools for decades, even while he was appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Mike Douglas Show.
He didn't start stand-up until he was 35. That's a lifetime in show business. Most people start in their twenties, but Lenny waited until 1969 to hit the stage at The Improv. Within months, he was a regular on the talk show circuit. You’ve probably seen the grainy clips on YouTube of him on Late Night with David Letterman. He’d run into the audience, throw things, and scream "Go crazy, Lenny!" until the crowd joined in.
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Breaking Down the TV Career
Schultz wasn't just a guest; he was a fixture. In 1976, he landed a recurring role on The Late Summer Early Fall Bert Convy Show. That’s where the Bionic Chicken was born. It sounds ridiculous because it was. He’d flap his arms and make mechanical noises, parodying Lee Majors while somehow being genuinely hilarious.
He also had a stint on the 1977 revival of Laugh-In. It wasn't the original powerhouse version, but Lenny was one of the few bright spots. He played Lenny "Birdman" Siegel on the sitcom Ball Four in 1976, which was based on Jim Bouton's controversial baseball book. It only lasted seven episodes, but it cemented him as a go-to character actor for "the crazy guy."
- Drawing Power (1980): A Saturday morning show where he was a lead performer.
- Blansky’s Beauties (1977): A short-lived Garry Marshall spin-off.
- The Gong Show: He was a frequent guest and judge, fitting right into Chuck Barris's beautiful mess.
Lenny Schultz on the Big Screen
The film side of things was a bit more sparse, but just as eccentric. He wasn't a leading man. He was a flavor. You put Lenny in a scene when you need a jolt of caffeine.
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In 1982, he appeared in The Comeback Trail. It was a gritty, weird comedy about two movie producers trying to kill their aging star for insurance money. It’s been remade recently with Robert De Niro, but the original has that greasy, 80s indie feel that Lenny thrived in.
He also had a role in The House of God (1984), a dark medical comedy based on the famous novel by Samuel Shem. He played Zeiss. If you’ve seen the movie, you know it’s a cynical look at hospital life, and Lenny’s frantic energy provided a much-needed break from the grim reality of the plot. He even showed up way back in 1958 in something called Wet Asphalt (Nasser Asphalt), though that was well before his "crazy Lenny" persona took over the world.
The Impact on Modern Comedy
Why does any of this matter now? Because we take physical comedy for granted. Before Lenny, comedy was often very "setup-punchline." Lenny was just "vibe." He used props. He used his body. He made sound effects that sounded like a malfunctioning radiator.
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When David Letterman first started his show, he brought Lenny on because he wanted that unpredictable "anything can happen" energy. Letterman once said that Lenny was one of the few people who could genuinely frighten an audience into laughing. It wasn't mean; it was just overwhelming.
Where to Watch Him Today
Sadly, a lot of Lenny Schultz movies and tv shows are buried in archives. You can’t just go to Netflix and find a "Lenny Schultz" category. Most of his best work exists in:
- YouTube Archives: This is the gold mine. Search for his Letterman appearances or his Gong Show clips.
- Old Sitcom DVDs: If you can track down the Ball Four pilot or Laugh-In 77, he’s there.
- Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: Jerry Seinfeld and his guests often talk about him. There's a specific episode where Jerry reminisces about Lenny's influence, which helped bring him back into the conversation for a new generation.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to understand the DNA of modern physical comedy, you have to see Lenny in action. Don't just read about it. Go find the "Go Crazy Lenny" clip on YouTube from 1982. It’s eight minutes of a man losing his mind on national television, and it is glorious.
Pay attention to how he interacts with the crowd. He doesn't just talk to them; he invades their space. If you are a performer or a writer, study his pacing. He never lets the audience breathe. That is the secret to his longevity—he was a gym teacher who treated comedy like a high-intensity workout. Check out the 1982 version of The Comeback Trail if you can find it on a boutique streaming service like Criterion or MUBI, as it’s a fascinating time capsule of the era.
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